No forest ever grows in a contiguous mass, although a few monocultures had been planted on an experimental basis in a few districts of the province. His father said forests burned down in thousands upon thousands of acres and new forests grew naturally in place of the old. But other forests grew old, and aged unimpeded by bugs or fires to become dying trees, to become a condition known as decadent. It was Barry's favourite word.
Decadent: [ˈdekəd(ə)nt]
ADJECTIVE
characterized by or reflecting a state of moral or cultural decline.
"a decaying, decadent Britain"
synonyms:
dissolute · dissipated · degenerate · corrupt · depraved · louche · rakish · shameless · sinful · unprincipled · immoral · licentious · wanton · abandoned · unrestrained · profligate · intemperate · fast-living · sybaritic · voluptuary · epicurean · hedonistic · pleasure-seeking · indulgent · self-indulgent.
Damned harsh judgement on those forests. But accurate enough. Decadent forests and the insects in profusion consumed everything, including themselves.
Therefore to Barry's way of thinking the people who went into the wilderness and cut down millions of trees were serving a variety of useful interests. A healthy forest in this region in the northwest of B.C. contained spruce, balsam, alder, and pine trees. Tightly spaced. Dense undergrowth. There were small pockets containing cedar and these lived longer unless they were marked for harvest. Yes many of these forests had been harvested or burned and when they grew to about 40 years old they were supposed to be cut.
